It is known in the prior art to use printers with thermal printheads to produce contrasting images on a print medium such as a label stock. In one form, such printheads directly contact a thermally sensitive print medium. In others, a ribbon carrying a thermally transferrable dyed wax is placed between the printhead and a thermally insensitive print medium.
The wide applicability of such printers allows them to be used with many different types of print medium, having, for example, different thicknesses and different thermal sensitivities. It has been determined that the pressure that the printhead exerts against the print medium determines to a large extent the quality of printing provided by a thermal printer. Therefore, it is desirable to have a thermal printer with adjustable printhead pressure.